returning the key of rain . . . feast of our Lady of mt. carmel 2013

In Rome almost all religious congregations honor their founders with a monument usually by erecting images of their founders.  The Carmelites also honor theirs with an image, underneath of which one can read the words of dedication saying: “The entire Carmelite Order erected this statue to its founder.”  And who is the founder?  The Prophet Elijah, aka St. Elijah whose feast Carmel celebrates every 20^th of July.  That is one claim to fame of the Carmelite Order – having Elijah as its founder . . . unless of course some Jesuit or Mill Hill father can also come up with a story that would relate them to Joshua or Solomon or to Moses perhaps.  As it is, the Carmelites are unbeaten in this regard.

Another claim to fame which Carmelite nuns in particular hold is the power to control rain, or so it seems, and by consequence a claim to a lot of eggs, lots of them, so much so that our seminary and the seminarians have benefitted greatly from these eggs for the past two years now.  Lest you conclude that I am jesting around I would like to reiterate that these two claims are not however without basis. 

Elijah has always been considered the founder of Carmel not in a historical sense of course, but because it is in his person and the values he hold that the traditions and spirit of Carmel are built.  Elijah after all was a prophet of prayer, he is known for his single-minded devotion to God, he depended on God for everything including his daily sustenance, and his experience of God is in stillness and quiet.  Thus Elijah is the founder of Carmel – he provides the foundation on which Carmel now stands.

And what about the power to control rain?  Do we have a basis for this?  Yes and it is even biblical as evidenced in our first reading today and it is precisely this power over rain that I would base my reflection on today’s feast.

In Jewish tradition there are three things that God alone can do.  Jewish tradition calls these the three keys, ang tatlo ka yabe.  The first key is the key of the woman giving birth – only God can grant or withhold birth.  That is why a barren wife bearing a son or a virgin giving birth is the clearest of signs that God is taking direct action in our lives.  The second key is the key of the resurrection – only God can make the dead rise, thus if Jesus can raise the dead then Jesus is God.  And lastly, the third key, the key of rain; it is also called the key of creation for without rain there can only be destruction.  Only God can give or withhold rain.  Only God has the key of rain.

But this is not so with the prophet Elijah.  During the time of Ahab and the evil Queen Jezebel, Elijah for a time held the key of rain – ginpa-uyat sa iya sang Dios.  One day Elijah said to Ahab, "As the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word."  Except by my word – Elijah held the key of rain and for three years it was such – God gave to Elijah the key of rain.
Hounded by Queen Jezebel, Elijah fled and lived for a time beside the brook of Cherith and there God sent ravens to Elijah bringing him meat and bread twice a day so that he can eat and he drank from the brook.  Imagine, ravens brining food, those black birds, they are called the vilest of birds, the cruellest of birds, the most selfish of birds and yet they were feeding Elijah twice a day.  The traditions of the Jews say that this was a hint from God telling Elijah to have mercy on the people and let it rain.  If the cruellest of birds can have a change of heart, then Israel can change; if the cruellest of birds that feed you can feel pity for you, can you also change your heart and make it rain because people are suffering.  But Elijah did not notice this even when the brook from where he drank ran dry. 

Then God led Elijah to Zarepath, the reading we had 4 Sundays ago where a woman and her son because of famine brought about by the absence of rain was about to eat their last meal before consigning themselves to death by hunger - famine was about to claim two of the most vulnerable members of the community – women and children.  There was suffering in the world but Elijah was unaware of it.  The hint escaped him.  He did not see the connection that he has the key of rain and therefore he can stop the famine.  But he refused to see this. 

And then something devastating happened.  The son of the widow of Zarepath died and Elijah shocked and unable to react took the body of the dead boy from his mother’s arms, locked himself in his room and for the first time cried his heart out to God.  And there Elijah finally saw how it was.   The death of the widow’s son enabled him to understand God’s suffering at the sight of His starving people and he is therefore willing to return the key of rain.

And thus God said to Elijah, “Go and show yourself to King Ahab and I will send rain upon the earth.”  Now God can send rain, for Elijah has finally returned the key of rain.  Thus we come to our first reading today.  Elijah on top of Mt. Carmel, kneeling with his head between his knees, not even daring to look at the marvel about to unfold.  And in a little while the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind began to blow, and heavy rain began to fall. Famine has at last ended.

What does Elijah, and therefore Carmel, affirm in our lives?  What virtue can we learn from this story of Elijah?  No, it is not about the rain and who controls what.   It is what Elijah learned in his effort to hold on to the power of rain.  It is what Mary also learned when she stood at the foot of the cross.  It is to learn to surrender to God’s activity, it is to learn to accept, to consent to God’s activities in our lives, not to resist but to consent even to the things difficult to comprehend.  Elijah can only bow with his head between his knees.  Mary can only stand still silently.  It is now God who acts.  Let us be aware of that also.  It is now God who acts.  All we have to do is to stand still in active readiness, because it is now God who acts.  A couple, the uncle of one of our seminarian called me up yesterday for a sick call.  Ang patiente manug-two years old nga bata.  He was the couple’s 4^th attempt to bear a child, he was their 4^th try to have a child – nahulog ang tatlo, he is the only child and it seems he will live only for two years.  Ang hambal sang nanay, “makalakat-lakat na kami tani Father, pero may rason man ina si Lord kon ngaa ginhatag sia sa amon for two years lang, for two years lang.’

It is easier for a woman to say that, as it was easier for Mary to stand still beneath the cross and to accept even that which is beyond her understanding.  For us men, as it was for Elijah it is difficult to surrender – “what will I do, what can I do, I have to do something” it will take some time for us to return the key of rain.  Many times it is not what we do but what we allow God to do to us and in us.

For nine days you have heard of the different virtues of Mary, what she did, what she achieved, what she completed. The last virtue is not complicated yet it the most difficult – stand still, you don’t have to do anything, just stand still, just give your consent to what God is about to do in you.  Stand still.

PS.  I lost the letter Carmel sent me.  It was supposed to give me the details, the theme for today’s feast.  So I asked our porter to call Carmel.  He did and promptly gave me the theme.  When I came in this afternoon I found out that the theme is different.  After inquiring, I found out that indeed our porter called Carmel but it was Carmel Lapaz!  In a state of panic I was tempted to change the last part of my homily but I decided not to.  I believe I have done my part, I have done what I need to do.  Now I have to allow God to do his.